Race 5 - Day 4
Crew Diary - Race 5 - Day 4
27 December
Happy Christmas // Merry Birthday
Michelle Neveklovska & David Tohn
‘Tis the season… for Christmas and for celebrating other peoples’ birthdays other than His.
Dare to Lead has not one, but two, birthdays on December 25th – Michelle Neveklovska and David Tohn… and we are finally having our day!
<cue violins>
For our entire lives, we’ve never had a birthday party on our birthday! All of our friends have had something more important to do on the 25th – something about trees, and presents, and old guys shimmying down chimneys (nothing like a little breaking and entering to celebrate a major holiday!) to come out and celebrate our birthdays with proper parties.
<music shifts dramatically to minor chords>
But no more!
This is the year where we will have our due! Over the past year-plus, we have been cunningly plotting to shanghai (kidnapping, for those not familiar with nautical terms) 17 unknowing people, drag them onto a 70’ boat, and sail them over 200 miles south of Australia into the Southern Ocean – conveniently deep into international waters – so that we will finally have someone come to our birthday party <fiendish laughter here>.
We sent out ‘save the date' yesterday to make sure they could make it (like they have a choice). So for the first time in our lives, we will have people - who are not blood relatives - singing happy birthday to us ON OUR BIRTHDAYS in person! Non-singers are to be keel-hauled.
<muuuhaaahhahhhaaa…>
Our emotional closure aside, we the happy crew of DTL celebrated Christmas (and our birthdays) in fine style with a home-cooked meal (at 45 degrees), some festive music (thankfully, only one rendition of Happy Birthday, and the reindeer missed Grandma but the dolphin pod didn’t), great hats, and even one ugly sweater entry (Bruce, surprisingly, won).
In the spirit of giving and sharing, Michelle N. and I are happily ceding the rest of our Most-Specialist Birthday Blog entry to our fellow crewmates to wish their families a Merry Christmas…
Jim Feldkamp: It’s my pleasure to wish Santa – Ooops, I mean Michelle N. and David T. a happy birthday! Sure most celebrate in style by giving their loved ones presents and warm wishes during the holiday season, but having been ‘politely invited to enjoy this day on the high seas’ I can think of no one I would like to say Merry Birthday to both Michelle N. and David! I hope you have a most memorable day (and hopefully not seasick)!
Alan Bateman: Happy Christmas to everybody especially Georgia and Ewan, All going well here as we head to the southern ocean and Tasmania.
Bruce Wormald: Merry Christmas to all and especially Sarah, Nelle and Gus and my special thanks to Hazel, Allan, Anna, Izzy and Fin of taking care of them over Christmas and a Merry Christmas to Mom, Dad, Leigh and Tony and the gang. We are in good form here on Dare to Lead as we head south back to the Southern Ocean – so have a glass or two for us! Happy Birthday Michelle N. and David T.!
Caption: Swatch & Rolex Watches of Dare to Lead sending their Christmas wishes